The U.S women's basketball team has had more success in the last few years than their male counterparts, but they're also smarting from a recent setback. The women managed only a bronze medal in the 2006 World Championships after losing to Russia in the semis, and the players have made it clear that nothing short of a gold medal will satisfy them in Beijing.

Although the U.S. women are top-ranked in the Olympics and have a 25-game Olympics winning streak, they'll face a tough challenge from the two teams that finished ahead of them in 2006: Russia, the team that beat them; and Australia, the team that took the gold medal.

A number of members of the Australian team play in America for the WNBA, including Lauren Jackson, often considered the best overall women's basketball player in the world. Russia will have some familiar faces, and not just the Russians who play in the WNBA: American WNBA player Becky Hammon, from South Dakota, will be playing for the Russian team, having been given citizenship just so she can play for the team.